Isaiah 33

1 Woe to thee that destroyest, and thou wast not destroyed; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou hast ceased to destroy, thou shalt be destroyed; and when thou hast made an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.2 O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples are fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations are scattered.4 And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpillar gathereth: as locusts leap shall men leap upon it.5 Jehovah is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness.6 And there shall be stability in thy times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah is thy treasure.7 Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: the enemy hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth not man.9 The land mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon is confounded and withereth away; Sharon is like a desert; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.10 Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; now will I lift up myself; now will I be exalted.11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath is a fire that shall devour you.12 And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless ones: Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil:16 He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks; his bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold a land that reacheth afar.18 Thy heart shall muse on the terror: Where is he that counted, where is he that weighed the tribute? where is he that counted the towers?19 Thou shalt not see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that thou canst not comprehend, of a strange tongue that thou canst not understand.20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.21 But there Jehovah will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.22 For Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king; he will save us.23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not strengthen the foot of their mast, they could not spread the sail: then was the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame took the prey.24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

ISAIAH 33

Jerusalem Will Be Safe

1 You defeated my people.
Now you're in for trouble!
You've never been destroyed,
but you will be destroyed;
you've never been betrayed,
but you will be betrayed.
When you have finished
destroying and betraying,
you will be destroyed
and betrayed in return.

2 Please, [Lord], be kind to us!
We depend on you.
Make us strong each morning,
and come to save us
when we are in trouble.

3 Nations scatter when you roar
and show your greatness.t

4 We attack our enemies
like swarms of locusts;t
we take everything
that belongs to them.t

5 You, [Lord], are above all others,
and you live in the heavens.
You have brought justice
and fairness to Jerusalem;

6 you are the foundation
on which we stand today.
You always save us and give
true wisdom and knowledge.
Nothing means more to ust
than obeying you.

The [Lord] Will Do Something

7 Listen! Our bravest soldiers
are running through the streets,
screaming for help.t
Our messengers hoped for peace,
but came home crying.

8 No one travels anymore;
every road is empty.
Treaties are broken,
and no respect is shown
to any who keep promises.t

9 Fields are dry and barren;
Mount Lebanon wilts
with shame.
Sharon Valley is a desert;
the forests of Bashan and Carmel
have lost their leaves.

10 But the [Lord] says,
“Now I will do something
and be greatly praised.

11 Your deeds are straw
that will be set on fire
by your very own breath.

12 You will be burned to ashes
like thorns in a fire.

13 Everyone, both far and near,
come look at what I have done.
See my mighty power!”

Punishment and Rewards

14 Those terrible sinners
on Mount Zion tremble
as they ask in fear,
“How can we possibly live
where a raging fire
never stops burning?”

15 But there will be rewards
for those who live right
and tell the truth,
for those who refuse
to take money by force
or accept bribes,
for all who hate murder
and violent crimes.

16 They will live in a fortress
high on a rocky cliff,
where they will have food
and plenty of water.

The [Lord] Is Our King

17 With your own eyes
you will see the glorious King;
you will see his kingdom
reaching far and wide.

18 Then you will ask yourself,
“Where are those officials
who terrified us and forced us
to pay such heavy taxes?”

19 You will never again have to see
the proud people who spoke
a strange and foreign language
you could not understand.

20 Look to Mount Zion
where we celebrate
our religious festivals.
You will see Jerusalem,
secure as a tent with pegs
that cannot be pulled up
and fastened with ropes
that can never be broken.

21 Our wonderful [Lord]
will be with us!
There will be deep rivers
and wide streams
safe from enemy ships.t

The [Lord] Is Our Judge

22 The [Lord] is our judge
and our ruler;
the [Lord] is our king
and will keep us safe.

23 But your nationt is a ship
with its rigging loose,
its mast shaky,
and its sail not spread.
Someday even you that are lame
will take everything you want
from your enemies.

24 The [Lord] will forgive your sins,
and none of you will say,
“I feel sick.”